Barrier movement operators generally include power and control systems for responding to operator inputs and sensed conditions to move a barrier between open and closed positions with respect to an opening. The barrier may be a door, a gate, a window, a window shade/protector or similar apparatus. Garage door operators are a common form of barrier movement operator.
One type of garage door operator comprises a head end with control circuitry and a motor that extends and retracts a trolley connected to the door. The trolley moves along a rail connected between the head end and a support wall of a garage at a point above the garage opening. Such a trolley and rail type of garage door operator is generally supported from an overhead structure such as the ceiling joists of a garage. Support is often achieved by vertical metal support members from the housing of the head end to the ceiling joists which may result in a less than stylish connection.
Ancillary equipment or accessories can be used to improve the functionality of the garage in which the garage door operator is mounted. For example, additional lighting is often placed in the garage, which in some instances, may be controlled by the controller of the head end. Also, a readily available extension cord and/or a mechanic's light is sometimes provided in the garage. The garage door operator itself may gain advantage to having an attached security camera, monitor, motion sensor and other sensing equipment. In previous systems, the inclusion of such additional equipment results in a mix of non-similar items affixed throughout the garage.
In previous systems, the amount of current that an electrical outlet can supply to an operator and its accessories is limited by a circuit breaker. The current flows from the outlet to the operator and the accessories. When the barrier is moved, the movable barrier operator requires a large percentage of the current flowing from the outlet to operate. Both during the starting of the motor and situations where high force is required, the amount of current needed is at a peak. If during the starting of the motor, the sum of the operator current and the current supplied to the additional devices is above the threshold of the circuit breaker, the circuit breaker trips, current flow is halted, and the operator is unable to complete its operation. When the circuit breaker trips, the operation of the operator and the additional devices is impaired resulting in significant inconvenience to the user.
Previous systems do not deal with this situation effectively. Also, in previous systems the power made available to the ancillary devices is the same regardless of whether the operator is active or inactive or which of the ancillary devices is in operation. This results in an inefficient use an allocation of system resources.